8 Smart Tips for Shaping Up!
Thanks to eDiets & Susan Burke MS, RD, LD/N, CDE for providing this article.
It’s too easy to be fat -- but it's just as easy to be thin!
In my career as a dietitian, I've counseled hundreds of people about making lifestyle changes that result in permanent weight loss. After all, we all know that any diet will work if you stick to it for a while!
But unless you make permanent changes, the weight loss will be temporary. And in counseling hundreds of people, I’ve become pretty savvy about figuring out who will succeed and who will fail. All I have to do is ask, "Do you think you can do it (make changes in your diet and activity schedule)?" If they say, "I think so," it's almost a guarantee that they won't!
It is too easy to be fat in America. On every corner, there are fast food outlets, convenience stores and doughnut shops. All are competing for your dollar. I don’t have to tell you how cheap food is. Just today, I compared circulars for local grocery stores: chicken for $1.99 a pound, two-for-one ice cream, milk for only $2.39 a gallon...
Sugar is certainly cheap. Soda is rock bottom too. I could buy four 12-packs for $9 -- that’s about 19 cents per can!
I’ve heard many excuses for people not changing behavior. Some say, "It’s expensive to go on a diet." What people mean is that food is cheap and time is money. If they have to invest the time in food, they’d rather dine out or eat conveniently.
But at what price? Are your health and your physique worth the extra expense? Can you look past the end of the table toward your future? Everyone wants to be healthy and it's more than just about looking good from the inside out.
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8 Tips for Getting in Shape... Now
I know you can do it... easily, quickly, conveniently and inexpensively. I do it. You can, too! Follow these basic tips for a lifetime of health and beauty.
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Plan your meals: Impulse shopping is expensive. Make sure to plan for meals out too. Always shop with a shopping list. eDiets makes it convenient for you to do this. Review your plan for the week. Change your plan if you’re going to eat out and commit to days that you will eat in.
- Take advantage of sales: Know your substitution list. At any time you can substitute within any food category. If your weekly plan has chicken on the menu, and meat or fish are available at a better price, by all means substitute. Most fruits, non-starchy vegetables and whole-grain products are interchangeable. It's a good way to be kind to your wallet.
- Make your own convenience meals: Spend a few hours once a week and cook up a storm! I like to use Sundays to shop and cook. Take one of your favorite recipes for the coming week, triple the ingredients, (all except the spices -- that requires a "lighter" hand) and freeze into individual portions. Do this every week or so and you’ll have a stock of your own frozen entrees that are fresher and tastier, not to mention less expensive, than store-bought meals.
- Cancel your account at the coffee shop: Coffee is an addiction that’s shaking America’s wallets. Are you stepping out a couple of times a day to buy coffee? That’s an expensive proposition and it is an unnecessary temptation. I’ve spoken to people who say they just "can’t resist" the sweet rolls and cookies in the display case. I say, stay away!
- Calculate your savings: Wait until you see how much you’ll save by bringing your lunch to work. Say you spend $5 to $10 at lunch and you go out at least three times a week. Just think what you can do with an extra $1,000 a year.
- Variety is the spice of life: It’s more nutritious to eat different foods every day. Different fruits and vegetables contain different amounts of phytonutrients, which are crucial vitamins and minerals necessary for good health.
- Make it easy on yourself: Eating fresh was never this easy! We’re busy people and grocers have made it that much easier for us to eat well. Take advantage of pre-washed salads, and pre-cut veggies. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables can be found washed, chopped and ready for a quick steam or stir-fry.
- Drink tap water: Most municipal water is just as clean and healthy as bottled water. Many studies show that bottled water is not always reliable and that water from the spout may actually be cleaner. Or, invest in a water filter. It will save you money in the long-term.
Did You Know?
Eating a wide variety of foods not only promotes optimal nutrition, but it also provides the pleasurable aspects of eating. Expand your range of choices and explore new tastes within and among food groups. This week, try a fruit that you have never eaten before... or one that has disappeared from your shopping list for quite some time.
Most people eat the same old orange, apple, pear, occasional banana and maybe even a grapefruit, but they generally don’t enjoy the benefits of all the other great fruits in the marketplace. Do you know that mango and cantaloupe are considered "superfoods?" These fruits are full of vitamins A and C, and they are very low in calories (only about 60 calories in one 1/2-cup serving).
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